February 12, 2018

I traveled (travelled?) around the Big Island of Hawaii the last two weeks and found that--even at Volcanoes National Park--I could not escape thinking about writing. This text grabbed my attention on the Sulphur Banks trail:

It appeared on this large, instructive sign:

Why deal with spelling in a national park? Because on the Sulphur Banks trail, the park needed to explain the nature of sulfur.

When you think about whether to use U.S., British, or Canadian spellings, think about your audience. When I offer classes in nearby Vancouver, British Columbia, I always update spellings, and I consider using the word brackets for what I normally call parentheses.

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February 12, 2018

I traveled (travelled?) around the Big Island of Hawaii the last two weeks and found that--even at Volcanoes National Park--I could not escape thinking about writing. This text grabbed my attention on the Sulphur Banks trail:

It appeared on this large, instructive sign:

Why deal with spelling in a national park? Because on the Sulphur Banks trail, the park needed to explain the nature of sulfur.

When you think about whether to use U.S., British, or Canadian spellings, think about your audience. When I offer classes in nearby Vancouver, British Columbia, I always update spellings, and I consider using the word brackets for what I normally call parentheses.

January 19, 2018

The other day at my health club I asked an employee what time the bank parking lot was available for club members' use. I knew I could use the bank lot when the bank closed, but I wasn't sure what time that was. The employee responded, "You'll have to ask at the bank."

The health club has arranged with the bank for club members to use the parking lot. Why wouldn't the club employee want to know about the closing time herself? Why make individual club members find out from the bank?

I didn't give any flak to the employee because I'm trying to spread joy rather than annoyance. Instead, I thought about how the situation relates to writing. How can people avoid coming across as uninterested and instead take the next step for their readers? Below are a few ideas I thought of. Please add yours.

If someone:

1. Asks for something and you aren't the right person to provide it, forward the email to the person who can. But before forwarding, make sure there's nothing in the original email that the writer would not want forwarded.

2. Emails a question and you can't answer it now, reply anyway. Let them know when you will have the information, so they don't have to worry that you didn't get the message.

3. Will need to schedule a meeting with you, email suggested meeting times rather than waiting for them to do it. If you work with them, add the meeting to their calendar.

4. Needs to take a step forward on a project, offer suggestions of next steps instead of just asking "What do you want to do?"

5. Wants to connect with an associate of yours, don't just provide the person's email. Introduce them by email to make the job easier for both of them. Read How to Introduce Two People in Writing for tips and examples.

6. Needs information from a website, give them a specific link within the site, not just to the home page.

7. Needs an answer from you--and your answer is no--reply promptly. Don't make them ask again. Here are tips on How to Say No.

Can you think of other ways to make life easier for readers? If you share them, you may make life easier for readers around the world.

January 10, 2018

The other day my fitness coach went online to pay a $250 deposit on her daughter's high school trip. She found the website and the correct trip, clicked the link to pay $250, and then faced a cell marked Amount. In a hurry, she typed 250,the amount of her payment, without thinking much about it.

Only when she finalized the transaction by clicking Pay did the total appear. My coach's credit card was charged $62,500. Yes, $62,500! And her credit card company immediately approved the charge.

What went wrong? When the coach saw Amount, even though she thought the blank was redundant, she typed 250. After all, that was the amount she needed to pay. But as a result, she paid $250 an extraordinary 250 times.

The word amountled the customer-coach in the wrong direction. Quantity would have helped her understand what the blank needed. How many (what quantity of) payments in the amount of $250 did she want to make? Just one.

Amount and quantity may be interchangeable in some references to money, for example: "The amount [quantity] of money we need to invest has increased."

However, I follow The Chicago Manual of Style's guidance on the word amount: "Amount is used with mass [not countable] nouns: a decrease in the amount of pollution; a small amount of money" (like the amount of her payment).

Following that advice, the website would not have used amount for the countable payments but rather quantity or number. It would not have caused my coach the hassle of canceling the $62,500 charge.

Have unexpected words on websites cost you time or money? Please share your story.

January 08, 2018

Do people tell you that your writing is choppy or difficult to follow? Do they say it doesn't flow?

Or maybe you've noticed that your team's writing doesn't flow.

Good flow in writing is method, not magic. When writing doesn't flow, it's missing certain elements that help to guide and focus readers. Good flow comes from using those elements in your writing.

Use a combination of the elements below, or encourage your team of writers to use them. Then notice those complaints about "lack of flow" disappear, and watch for an improvement in readers' responses.

1. Transitional words and phrases. Transitional expressions such as "also," "in comparison," and "as a result" help guide readers down the path your ideas take. Think of such expressions as signposts pointing readers in the right direction, especially when your message changes course slightly. These expressions are essential in speeches and presentations, where the audience needs cues to help them follow your ideas. Transitional expressions I use often are "however," "in contrast," and "for example."

2. Bullets points and enumerated lists. Lists of like things (such as steps, benefits, reasons, and requirements) help readers quickly recognize similar content. For instance, a list of 20 executives and their titles is much easier to follow than a paragraph of 20 execs' names and accompanying titles. Also, when you use lists, you do not have to work hard to show relationships between ideas. You can leave out transitional expressions such as "First of all," "Secondly," etc.

Caution: Be sure to structure every item in your list the same way (for instance, all sentences, all noun phrases, or all items starting with action verbs), or your readers will have to work to find similarities.

3. Headings. Without headings, readers have to figure out the relationships between the various parts of your message. With headings, readers can scan your content quickly, recognizing the flow of ideas. Specific headings, such as "Benefits: Less Cost, Greater Efficiency" and "Proposed Solution: Centralize the Training Function," give readers instant information. They do more to guide readers than general headings such as "Benefits" and "Proposed Solution."

4. Answers to readers' questions. Readers are looking for answers to their questions. Before you write, think about what your readers want to know. Then provide that information in the order they are likely to want it, so it flows to meet their needs. For instance, if you are instituting a change, readers' first questions are likely to be:

• What is the change?• Why is it being made?• When does it go into effect?

Writers often want to give background first. But the first thing your readers want is the main point of your message, along with the answers to their burning questions.

5. One purpose per message. Readers get lost in communications that pull them in different directions. Whenever possible, have just one purpose in writing and one focus. For example, if you are inviting vendors to participate in an information fair, do not mention other events or other ways to get involved. If you are announcing a change, do not bring up other changes, and do not thank the team that is implementing the change. The other changes, as well as the thank-you, will be the focus of separate future messages.

6. One idea per paragraph. If you pack a paragraph with more than one idea, readers will have difficulty following your flow because of the competing information. In an email announcing a presentation, for example, use three separate paragraphs to communicate the presentation topic; the date, time, and place of the event; and the presenter's brief bio. Headings will help the information stand out.

7. One idea per sentence. A sentence with more than one idea is a sentence competing with itself. The two or three ideas in such a sentence are competing for the readers' attention. Rather than having an easy time following the flow of the sentence, readers don't know where to focus. Even a short sentence like this one pulls its readers in two directions: "Thank you for your help and see you next week at the conference."

8. Complete sentences. Sentence fragments create work for readers, who have to fill in the missing words to follow the flow. The fragment "Got to see the latest design!" can mean the writer got to see the design or the reader ought to see it. The incomplete question "Payment due next week?" can raise many questions for readers.

9. Varied sentence length. Short, concise sentences are easy for readers to follow. However, a parade of very short sentences may come across as disjointed. Varying the length of your sentences will contribute to a smooth flow. The sentences in the paragraph just above are 9, 18, 24, and 13 words long. The previous paragraph has sentences of 13, 15, 19, and 26 words. Try to keep all sentences shorter than 35 words, so readers can follow them easily, and vary the length for smooth flow.

10. Varied sentence structure. Simple subject-verb-object sentences make the readers' job easier. (The sentence you just read is an example.) But they may become monotonous and cause readers to lose focus. Varying your sentence structure means occasionally breaking out of the mold of simple sentences. Try these sentence variations:

• Use a dependent clause followed by the main clause: "If you need help, call Marcia or Devon." • Use a main clause followed by a dependent clause: "I will call you next week after I talk with the client." • Start with a verb phrase: "To find the solution, click this link." • Start with a prepositional phrase or phrases: "By the way, her manager agrees." "In the minutes of the meeting, he listed the action steps."• Combine two short sentences into a compound sentence: "I called Dr. Mann, and we discussed the retreat agenda."

Tip: Read your email, newsletter article, or report aloud. If it sounds singsongy, as though you are reading a rhyming poem, you need to increase your sentence variety. Also, if you notice the same phrase or word repeating at the beginning of sentences, vary your sentence structure to reduce that repetition. For instance, these three 8-word sentences are too repetitive:

I appreciated your feedback on my first draft. I was able to apply all your suggestions. I have attached a revision for your review.

New version:Thank you for your feedback on my first draft. I was able to apply all your suggestions, and I have attached a revision for your review.

Would you or a team member like to tune up your business writing? Try my new online self-study course Business Writing Tune-Up.

It's time for writers to stop using obscure words that their readers--in this case, readers of The Seattle Times--don't recognize. Even the GRE exam no longer tests knowledge of obscure vocabulary. Why would a newspaper use them?

People don't read movie reviews for vocabulary development unless they are trying to learn English. And redoubtable would not have helped ESL learners.

How about you? If you have seen Star Wars: The Last Jedi (or The Force Awakens), how would you describe Rey? I'm guessing the writer might have used formidable or illustrious. The word awesome, inspiring awe, might have been the perfect word if it hadn't already been used to describe everything from the full moon to clean laundry.

December 14, 2017

Imagine this scenario: You got approval and budget to attend a four-day work-related conference. You're back now, and your boss says, in passing, "I'd like a report on the conference. Can you get it to me by tomorrow at 2? I want to share highlights with our VP."

Your mind is still swimming in an ocean of conference details and experiences. What should you put in the report?

This scenario captures the experience of a woman--let's call her Victoria--in a writing class I led. Victoria showed me the report she had created: around six pages of single-spaced, dense text. Yikes! How could her boss find any highlights there?

How would you decide what to include? Before scrolling down to my suggestions, think about your answer.

You can apply these suggestions anytime you need to determine what to include in a report:

1. Recognize the report's purposes. In the scenario, the director wants highlights to share with an executive. So Victoria should convey high-level experiences and information, not all the details--not the number of conference sessions, the name of the hotel, etc.

That's to meet the reader's purpose. But the writer's purpose may be different. Maybe Victoria wants to show the value of the conference to get approval for training in next year's budget. In that case, she would also focus on the benefits of the conference, her plans to apply what she learned, etc.

When you plan a report, write one or two sentences that state its purpose, and use those sentences to help you recognize what to include and what to leave out.

Will your director use the report to make a decision about financing a project? Then offer information that will make that decision clearer, things like benefits and costs and how the project supports company goals.

Will your peers read the report to incorporate information into a proposal? Include details that will deepen their understanding of the client's needs.

Will the report go into a file to document a current situation? Provide all the details that will help future readers understand what happened.

2. Imagine that instead of a report, the individual wanted to ask you a few questions on the topic. What do you think he or she would ask? If you know the individual, recognizing the likely questions may be easy. In the scenario, Victoria's director might ask:

What was the focus of the conference?

What were the hottest topics?

Did you attend any sessions led by industry experts? If so, who? On what topics?

What did you learn that you could apply in your job or in our company?

What did you learn from the expo?

Did you see any of our clients or competitors there?

Overall, how useful was the conference? Would you attend again?

To write the report, Victoria would answer the questions, keeping in mind that the director wants to share highlights with the VP. Her report sections could be:

[Title] Report on the XXXXX Conference, December 10-13, 2017, San Diego, California

This answering-the-reader's-questions method can help you recognize what belongs in any report. Here are sample questions for a trip report on a visit to a division of your company, a client's office, or a customer's plant:

What was the purpose of your trip?

Where did you go?

When did you travel?

Who traveled with you?

With whom did you meet there? At what facilities?

The questions above are the basics, which you can cover briefly. Below are meatier questions.

What did you accomplish on the trip?

What did you learn?

What do you recommend based on your trip?

Overall, how useful was the trip?

Does anyone need to follow up on the trip? If so, who? How?

Here are sample questions for an update:

What is this report about?

What time period does this report cover? Are things on track?

What has been accomplished since the last report?

Have any important events taken place?

Have there been any problems or obstacles? If so, how have they been managed?

Is there anything I need to worry about?

Where can I get more information?

If you are writing a very important report, such as one to the president of your organization, you may want to have someone else review your list of questions to see whether you are on target before you write the report.

3. Ask for a sample report if you are unsure what your reader wants. In the scenario, Victoria might ask her colleagues who are good writers if anyone has an example of a report on a conference.

Especially if you are new in a job or have never written the kind of report requested, ask whether sample reports are available. Review those examples and notice what works for you as a reader. Pay special attention to the kind and amount of information included.

4. Recognize that your readers have asked for a report--not a book. To restrain yourself from including too much, try these approaches:

Leave out any information that does not answer a reader's question. For instance, if Victoria's director would not ask whether she had any great meals or how much free swag she received, she should not include those details.

Avoid using chronological order to report. Chronological order will cause you to include irrelevant details just because they happened.

Use headings, preferably descriptive headings such as "Recommendation: Send a Team to the 2018 Conference." Headings will stop you from including information that does not belong in that section.

Summarize. In the scenario, Victoria should not give details about all the sessions she attended--just a summary and highlights. In a report on a client meeting, do not include he said-I said details. Instead, report agreements and outcomes. In a financial or technical report, do not include raw data in the body of the report. If it's essential, put it in an appendix.

Include links to more information and offer to provide more. In Victoria's report on the conference, she can link to the conference program and offer to provide certain handouts and slides.

Use tables and charts rather than sentences to capture numerical information. Graphical illustrations help you leave out extraneous information. Be sure to label each graphic so its relevance is clear to you and your reader.

When you succeed with a report, keep it in an electronic folder of model reports. Its success will give you confidence, and its strengths will inspire you the next time someone asks for a report.

Do you want to write more effective reports and other pieces? Take my online self-study course, Business Writing Tune-Up. It includes getting my expert feedback on your writing. Try the free trial to decide whether the course will meet your needs.

November 29, 2017

Get your proofreading game on! Three challenges await you. A hint about the number of errors, followed by the solutions, appears at the end of the tests.

Test 1: The Note of Thanks

Dear Krista;

Thank you very much for your work on the auction. Your limitless enthusiasm and energy was a valuable contribution to the events success. We would not of succeeded without generous people like you.

If you visit the PTA room you will see that there's several table decorations left over from the auction. If you would like to take one, please do so with the committee's thanks.

Thanks again for your wonderful work, we appreciate it!

Sincerely,

Lacey Jones

Test 2: The Email Request for Permission

Re: Permission to Schedule a PI Meting

Jane thanks for letting me know your schedule. While you are gone, I would like to setup a telephone meeting with the principle investigator of the maternal health study. The study will reach it's two year mark in October and I would like to ensure that everything is on track.

Can I have your permission to schedule the meeting? I will appraise you of the outcome when you return. (Note: I also asked Dr. Rangan's permission, however, I have not heard from her yet).

Your trip to Antigua, Guatemala sounds lovely. Have fun!

Best Wishes,

Rhonda Levin

Test 3: The Announcement

I am please to announce the promotion of James Wright to senior project engineer. In his new roll, James will work on the Leeds project and will head our sustainability efforts.

James joined Losher in October, 2007 as a manufacturing engineer. Since then he has lead our process improvement efforts in robotics and product manufacturing. He previously worked at XYZ Company in its manufacturing division and at ABC Company in its machine shop.

James earned a MBA from the University of Washington Foster School of Business in June. His Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering is from the University of Illinois.

Please join me in congratulating James on his well deserved promotion.

Number of errors:

Test 1 has 7 errors.Test 2 has 13 errors.Test 3 has 8 errors although two errors appear in the same word.

Note: The number of errors is based on the rules commonly observed in the United States and Canada.

Here are corrected versions with the corrections highlighted. Of course, you might choose to correct some errors differently.

Solution to Test 1: The Note of Thanks

Dear Krista, [A comma is correct in the United States and Canada.]

Thank you very much for your work on the auction. Your limitless enthusiasm and energy were a valuable contribution to the event's success. We would not have succeeded without generous people like you.

If you visit the PTA room, you will see that there are several table decorations left over from the auction. If you would like to take one, please do so with the committee's thanks.

Thanks again for your wonderful work. We appreciate it!

Sincerely,

Lacey Jones

Solution to Test 2: The Email Request for Permission

Re: Permission to Schedule a PI Meeting

Jane, thanks for letting me know your schedule. While you are gone, I would like to set up a telephone meeting with the principal investigator of the maternal health study. The study will reach its two-year mark in October, and I would like to ensure that everything is on track.

May I have your permission to schedule the meeting? I will apprise you of the outcome when you return. (Note: I also asked Dr. Rangan's permission; however, I have not heard from her yet.)

Your trip to Antigua, Guatemala, sounds lovely. Have fun!

Best wishes,

Rhonda Levin

Solution to Test 3: The Announcement

I am pleased to announce the promotion of James Wright to senior project engineer. In his new role, James will work on the Leeds project and will head our sustainability efforts.

James joined Losher in October [no comma] 2007 as a manufacturing engineer. Since then he has led our process improvement efforts in robotics and product manufacturing. He previously worked at XYZ Company in its manufacturing division and at ABC Company in its machine shop.

James earned an MBA from the University of Washington Foster School of Business in June. His bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering is from the University of Illinois.

Please join me in congratulating James on his well-deserved promotion.

How did you do? Any surprises? If you need to develop your proofreading and punctuating skills, take my online self-study courses Proofread Like a Pro and Punctation for Professionals. Try a free preview of both courses.

November 14, 2017

I led a class for a group of writers who respond to citizen complaints about airplane noise. The writers cannot make the planes quieter, and they can't make them go away. What can they do?

They can respond in ways that help citizens feel heard and helped.

When you can't give readers what they want, it's easy to feel discouraged about writing to them. But even though you cannot change their situation or do what they want, you can do many things to help them feel better. Experiment with these tips:

1. Start with a positive mindset. Recognize that your goal is to help the reader feel heard, valued, and helped even though you cannot change the situation. Mentally shift from responding to a "complaint" to replying to a "concern" from a valued customer, constituent, or employee.

2. Begin your message on a positive note. Use sentences such as "Thank you for writing to us about your concern," "Thank you for letting me know," and "Thank you for the opportunity to share information about . . ." Those sentiments establish your message as caring and helpful.

3. Individualize the message. Especially when using a template, greet the reader by name (not "Dear Homeowner"). Respond to your reader's specific concern, and review the template carefully to be sure the language matches your reader's situation.

4. Provide information about anything your reader can do to improve the situation. Consider these examples:

If your reader lives near the airport, explain how to apply for the airport's sound insulation program.

If your reader does not qualify for flood insurance, share information about protecting his or her property in heavy rain, along with specific links and apps to track the weather.

If an employee benefit is no longer offered, share information about how the employee can access the coverage, scholarship, etc., independently.

If your reader wants a printed owner's manual but your company supplies only electronic versions, provide a printable file and suggest ways to have the manual printed.

If the customer's equipment is no longer under warranty, supply a list of highly rated repair shops in the customer's vicinity.

5. Be sure any resources you offer are tailored to your reader's situation. Do the work of ensuring that any links you provide lead directly to relevant information--not to a general website. If you provide a list of repair shops, customize the list to your reader's location. If you offer a phone number, be sure the number connects directly to the right resource whenever possible--not to a lengthy Press 1 . . . Press 2 . . . Press 9 recording.

6. Use language that communicates empathy. Consider including statements such as "We understand and regret," "We are sorry about the situation," "I understand that this response is not what you had hoped for," and "I wish I could provide . . ." Remember that an apology does not make you responsible for a situation; it means you are sorry that the situation exists.

7. Avoid any language that characterizes your reader as a complainer. Even if the individual uses the words complaint or complain, do not include those words in your response. Instead, use neutral terms such as letter, concern, inquiry, and situation.

8. Refrain from blame. Even if the situation is the reader's fault, do not blame the individual. Avoid wording such as "If you had purchased marine insurance." Instead, write, "Unfortunately, the boat is not listed in your policy." Do not write, "You should have told me earlier that you wanted to attend." Instead, say, "I am sorry that all the seats are filled."

9. Offer yourself or another person on your team as a contact. Even if there is nothing you can do, giving follow-up contact information helps the reader feel connected rather than isolated. Close your message with a sentence like one of these: "If you need further information, please call me at __________ or email __________" and "Please feel free to call the Customer Hotline 24 hours a day at _________." Yes, certain individuals may abuse that information, but most will simply be grateful to know you are available.

Even though you cannot change the situation, you can write a message that helps your reader feel recognized, heard, and helped.

What do you do when you can't fix the reader's situation? Please share your examples.

Do you have to write in challenging situations? If you want tips on how to say no or to communicate bad news, get my book Business Writing With Heart: How to Build Great Work Relationships One Message at a Time. Buy it from Syntax Training (with a laminated bookmark and a personal message from me), Amazon, or your favorite bookseller (ISBN 978-0-9778679-0-5).

October 31, 2017

While you have been busy working, some of the rules of writing evolved, and the University of Chicago Press released a new Chicago Manual of Style. Take a look at the changes below to determine which ones you need to adopt. Then update your company style guide to be sure everyone is writing consistent, up-to-date pieces.

1. Words with web are no longer capitalized and are sometimes closed up: website, webmaster, webcam, and webcast, but web address and web browser. AP, Garner’s, and Microsoft recommend webpage, but Chicago still prefers the open web page. AP (effective 2016), Microsoft, and Chicago use the lower case web as a short form of World Wide Web, but Garner’s uses Web for that purpose.

2. You can stop capitalizing internet if you follow Chicago—or AP, which changed its approach in 2016. However, Garner’s and Microsoft still capitalize it.

3. The ever-present word email should be lower case and closed up. That’s according to Chicago, AP (effective 2011), and Microsoft. Garner's lists three versions—E-mail, e-mail, and email—noting that “The unhyphenated email is unsightly, but it might prevail in the end.” (Might? It certainly will!) Other e words are generally not capitalized unless they appear at the beginning of a sentence or in a heading, and they are hyphenated: e-book, e-reader, e-commerce, e-form, e-learning.

4. The word voicemail is closed up according to AP (since 2016) and Garner's. However, Microsoft and Chicago render it open: voice mail. Chicago doesn’t single out voice mail for discussion, but its rules on compound words call for the word to be rendered open.

5. Using they as a singular pronoun has become acceptable in some cases. The Washington Post argued in late 2015: “Allowing they for a gender-nonconforming person is a no-brainer. And once we’ve done that, why not allow it for the most awkward of those he or she situations that have troubled us for so many years?”

AP chimes in on the awkwardness issue. In its 2017 edition, AP states, “They/them/their is acceptable in limited cases as a singular and/or gender-neutral pronoun, when alternative wording is overly awkward or clumsy.” For example, to avoid revealing an individual’s gender, this their is acceptable: “The employee believed their safety could not be guaranteed.”

Chicago now states: “While this usage [they, them, their, and themselves] is accepted in those spheres [speech and informal writing], it is only lately showing signs of gaining acceptance in formal writing, where Chicago recommends avoiding its use. When referring specifically to a person who does not identify with a gender-specific pronoun, however, they and its forms are often preferred.”

Garner’s recommends its careful use: “Where it can’t be avoided, resort to it cautiously because some people may doubt your literacy.” And Microsoft advises, “Although . . . they for a singular antecedent is gaining acceptance. . . . Whenever possible, write around the problem.”

Note: The singular they always takes a plural verb, just as you does.

6. Over = more than for quantities. In 2014, AP joined Chicago and Garner’s in accepting over as synonymous with more than. Example: “She has over 20 years of experience.” AP describes over as "acceptable in all uses to indicate greater numerical value.” However, Microsoft still recommends more than for quantities; it uses over “to refer to a position or location above something.”

7. One space—not two! This isn’t a recent change. As far back as 2004, virtually all style guides have dictated one space after end punctuation and colons. If you are still using two, it’s time to adapt. Remember what happened to the dinosaurs.

8. In the 21st century, there’s no reason to render a number both spelled out and in figures—not even in contracts. Consider these redundancies: “You may cancel the contract within three (3) days” and “A deposit of $250 (two hundred fifty dollars) is due upon signing.” In the very old days, numbers were repeated to prevent them from being altered, according to attorney Bryan Garner. And back in the days of fuzzy carbon copies, spelled out numbers were easier to read. Today there’s no need for them.

I shared the changes above with a friend who wrote back: "I prefer eLearning. It still seems an unsettled question." Not to me! With so many things unsettled in the world, I'm going to defer to the style manuals and get on with my life.

How about you and your editorial team? Do you follow the advice of a well-respected style guide? Or do you go it alone?

October 19, 2017

I just finished reading another excellent mystery by Louise Penny: The Beautiful Mystery. Penny's series of Inspector Gamache mysteries, which take place in Québec, gets better and better with each volume. I'm always looking forward to the next one.

This time I read a library book. To my surprise, a previous reader wrote in the book, something I rarely see in books from the library. The individual wrote timbre over this bit of dialogue:

"Well, I have an unusual singing voice. A strange timber."

Would you have caught the error--and annotated it? I was glad the previous reader had. It helped me recognize the correct spelling of timbre.

Definition of timbre: the combination of qualities of a sound that distinguishes it from other sounds of the same pitch and volume.

Definition of the more familiar timber: trees or wooded land considered as a source of wood. Wood used as a building material; lumber.

I was glad to relearn this correct spelling. And to find out at the end of the book who had killed the prior!

Are you certain you use other word pairs such as principal/ principle and fewer/less correctly? Get my 60 Quick Word Fixes.